Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of electrostatic precipitators. More particularly, the invention pertains to disc electrode precipitators with horizontal discharge electrodes.
Description of Related Art
While regulations currently exist for diesel engine exhaust, at the present time the government is not enforcing emission requirements for coal stoves. Ceramic or metallic filters plus urea treatment are the dominating prior art methods used to process diesel exhaust.
There are a number of problems associated with diesel filters. The primary problem is an increase in back pressure due to porosity changes in the filter. Diesel filter failures are also related to “wet-stacking” (“wet” unburned fuel accumulating in the “stack”). Wet filters would be subject to immediate back pressure conditions.
Similarly, there is a need in the art to reduce the back pressure in electrostatic precipitators that are used by the coal and oil electric power industry.
Prior art patents show the use of circular disc electrodes with vertical discharge electrodes. Prior art patents also show vertical discharge electrodes with attracting electrodes that function independently in front of the disc electrodes.